Method and apparatus for converting liquid shock waves into rotary motion

ABSTRACT

A turbine is rotated by high velocity liquid impingement induced by the generation of shock waves in a confined liquid communicating with jet apertures positioned to express the liquid against the turbine blades as a function of shock wave generation. In a preferred embodiment, the shock waves are generated by injecting a lower boiling point liquid into a confined body of higher boiling point liquid.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,908,382

Stone, Jr. 1 1 Sept. 30, 1975 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3.358.451 12/1967 Feldman et a1. 60/1 X CONVERTING LIQUID SHOCK WAVES 3.398.686 8/1968 Guin 60/513 INTO ROTARY MOTION [76] Inventor: Wayne B. Stone. Jr.. 7307 Nevis Rd.. Bethesda. Md. 20034 [22] Filed: July 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,695

[52] U.S. C1. 60/649 [51] Int. Cl. F01k 25/06 [58] Field of Search 60/643, 650. 645, 649. 60/669. 721, 673. 671

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.162.052 11/1915 Hall 60/649 X 3.190.072 6/1965 Berryer 60/671 ACCUMLLATOR Primary Etuminer-Martin P. Schwadron Assistant E.\'amilwrAllcn M. Ostrager Attorney, Agent, or FirmColton & Stone. Inc.

ABSTRACT In a preferred embodiment, the shock waves are generated by injecting a lower boiling point liquid into a confined body of higher boiling point liquid.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 3,908,382

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING LIQUID SHOCK WAVES INTO ROTARY MOTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Liquid shock wave generation as by electrical discharge or explosive detonation beneath a liquid surface is old and well known for various purposes as is the generation of liquid shock waves by the introduction of small amounts of low boiling point liquid into a higher boiling point liquid. Exemplary of the latter are British Pat. No. 14,134 of l89l and U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,784. The aforesaid British patent utilizes the process to produce steam while U.S. Pat. No. 3,48 l ,784 is concerned with the cleaning of articles submerged in the higher boiling point liquid.

Although transient pressure waves of large magnitude can be readily generated in a liquid, that inertia and inexpansible nature characteristic of liquids precludes the use of the same to directly drive a reciproeating piston.

The purpose of the invention is the conversion of transient liquid pressure or shock waves into high speed rotary motion. Important corollaries are the manner of generating the shock waves and total elimination of pollutant exhaust.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An enclosed explosion chamber having an annular array ofjet apertures formed in the upper wall surface thereof is completely filled with a high boiling point liquid which is maintained at a temperature well above that of a lower boiling point liquid which is to be injected into the higher boiling point liquid to generate liquid shock waves. The explosion chamber and/or refill reservoir therefor may be heated in any desired manner such as by hydrocarbon fuel burners or electrieal resistance heaters. Upon injection of the lower boiling point liquid into the heated, higher boiling point liquid; either one or a series of violent explosions occur (depending upon the temperature of the system) which expresses high velocity jets of the higher boiling point liquid through the annular array of jet apertures and into driving impingement with the blades of a turbine positioned in immediate juxtaposition to the apertured explosion chamber wall.

The higher boiling point liquid may comprise a variety of natural or synthetic liquids such as linseed oil, cottonseed oil or corn oil provided that the selected liquid is not flammable at the selected operating temperatures. The preferred lower boiling point liquid is water although other liquids such as methanol, which are substantially immiscible with the higher boiling point liquid, may be used.

From the standpoint of pollution control, it will be understood that while the higher boiling point liquid is recycled for subsequent use any exhaust thereof would be in the form of low velocity fumes which can be readily scrubbed. Similarly, where a combustion process is used to heat the system, the exhaust therefrom can be recycled, scrubbed, filtered or treated in any conventional manner to eliminate pollutant exhaust without adversely affecting the power output of the engine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic elevation, with parts in section, of a multiple chamber, liquid shock wave engine; and

FIG. 2 is a broken plan view of one of the chambers and its overlying impeller taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 is illustrated a plurality of spaced, vertically aligned, annular explosion chambers having a common impeller shaft 12, journalled in bearings 14, extending through the central annulus 16 of each explosion chamber. The top wall 18 of each chamber 10 is drilled to form an annular array of small jet apertures or nozzles 20 to underlie the annular arrangement of impulse turbine blades 22 on turbine impellers 24. Each explosion chamber 10 is filled with a high boiling point liquid 26, hereinafter referred to as oil, which is replenished during operation of the engine from oil reservoir tank 28 via pump 30, manifold 32 and branch conduits 34 controlled by check valves 36. A lower boiling point liquid, hereinafter referred to as water, contained in reservoir 38 is injected into each chamber within the body of oil 26 at spaced intervals via pump 40, manifold 42 and metering valves 44. Metering valves 44 may comprise the conventional fuel injection parts of a diesel fuel injection system and the water may actually be introduced into the oil via a conventional fuel injection nozzle. Alternatively, any other conventional metering valve arrangement may be used.

The input energy source is herein illustrated as a hydrocarbon fuel burner assembly 46 which may be thermostatically controlled in conventional fashion to maintain the oil in chambers 10 and the reservoir 28 5 within a desired operating temperature range well above the boiling point of water. Each chamber 10 is provided with a pressure relief valve 48 set to relieve chamber pressures above the normal shock wave pressure levels to be generated by the water injection and subsequent explosions. Conventional accumulators 50, 52 connected in manifold lines 32, 42, respectively, and pressure relief valves 54, 56 providing a by-pass back to the respective reservoirs 28, 38 complete the description of the oil and water circulation circuits.

The vertically aligned chambers 10 are contained within a surrounding baffle shell 58 and overlie an oil sump 60 whose sump pump 62 discharges to oil reservoir 28.

The engine is initially started by firing burner assembly and bringing the oil temperature up to a desired operating range well above the boiling point of water. With an initial pressure in accumulator 50 exceeding that static pressure exerted by the oil 26 in chambers 10, which chambers are vented via jet openings 20; check valves 36 are calibrated to open to insure that chambers 10 are completely filled with oil. For initial start-up, one of the metering valves is opened, either manually or by an auxiliary power source such as a battery, to permit water in line 42, pressurized by accumulator 52, to be injected into one of the chambers 10. It will be understood that the on-line pressure exerted by accumulators 50, 52 does not exceed the opening pressure requirements for by-pass pressure relief valves 54, 56. Following water injection into the body of hot oil, the water is superheated and explodes violently to generate a liquid shock wave which results in the expression of hot oil from jet openings 20 and onto turbine blades 22. The manual or auxiliary power operation of metering valves 44 is continued sequentially with respect to each chamber until shaft 12 comes up to speed to drive pumps 30, 40 and govern the operation of metering valves 44 by conventional power take-off from shaft 12.

The hot oil expressed throughjets and into driving impingement with turbine blades 22 ultimately drains to sump 60 to be recycled to reservoir 28.

Following each water injection and explosive liquid ejection through jets 20 and a consequent closing of an associated check valve 36; liquid pressure in the chamher will again drop to substantially static pressure of the liquid oil and pump (or accumulator 50) will unseat check valve 36 to refill the chamber. Pressure relieve valve 54 is, of course, set to relieve to reservoir at a higher pressure than is required to unseat check valves 36 against static oil pressure in chambers 10.

I claim:

1. A method of converting liquid shock waves into rotary motion, comprising; containing a body of liquid in communication with extrusion orifice means opening to a gaseous environment externally of the contained liquid; generating a shock wave within said liquid and expressing a stream consisting of said liquid and comprising a small fraction of said body of liquid through said orifice means into said gaseous environment and into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means; and repeating the aforesaid steps to produce sustained rotary motion.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of heating said liquid prior to the step of generating a shock wave.

3. Apparatus for converting transitory liquid shock waves into continuous rotary motion, comprising; explosion chamber means; a body of liquid completely filling said chamber means and engaging a chamber wall having a plurality of extrusion orifice means communicating with a gaseous environment; the additive cross-sectional areas of said extrusion orifice means being small in comparison to the cross-sectional area of said chamber wall; first liquid reservoir means in com munication with said chamber means for replenishing the same; rotary motion conversion means mounted adjacent said extrusion orifice means on a side thereof remote from said body of liquid for movement in said gaseous environment; and shock generating means for generating transitory shock waves within said liquid to express the same through said extrusion orifice means and into driving impingement with said rotary motion conversion means.

4. Apparatus for converting transitory liquid shock waves into continuous rotary motion, Comprising; explosion chamber means; a body of liquid completely filling said chamber means and engaging a chamber wall having a plurality of extrusion orifice means having additive cross-sectional areas small in comparison to the cross-sectional area of said chamber wall; first liquid reservoir means in communication with said chamber means for replenishing the same; rotary motion conversion means mounted adjacent said extrusion orifice means on a side thereof remote from said body of liquid; shock generating means for generating transitory shock waves within said liquid to express the same through said extrusion orifice means and into driving impingement with said rotary motion conversion means; and said shock generating means including a second liquid reservoir containing a second liquid communicating with said chamber and means for controlling the liquid input from said second reservoir to said chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said body of liquid in said chamber and said reservoir of liquid in said first reservoir comprise a high boiling point liquid; said second liquid in said second liquid reservoir comprising a lower boiling point liquid; means for heating said high boiling point liquid to a temperature intermediate the boiling points of the higher and lower boiling point liqaids; and said means for controlling liquid input from said second reservoir to said chamber including means for injecting the lower boiling point liquid within the body of said higher boiling point liquid.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said rotary motion conversion means comprises an impulse turbine having a plurality of blades; and said extrusion orifice means comprise an annular extrusion orifice array positioned to extrude said higher boiling point liquid into driving impingement with said turbine blades.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 including a plurality of explosion chambers and a like plurality of impulse turbines; and means operatively interconnecting said plurality of turbines to a common output shaft.

8. A method of converting liquid shock waves into rotary motion, comprising the steps of containing a body of liquid in a chamber in open communication with extrusion orifice means; heating said body of liquid while maintaining the same in open communication with said extrusion orifice means; and further comprising the sequential steps of intermittently generating a shock wave within said liquid and expressing a small fraction of the same through said orifice means, the step of generating said shock wave including the intermittent addition of a second liquid to the first named liquid; intermittently directing the extruded liquid into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means; upon termination of said shock wave, intermittently refilling the chamber; and repeating the aforesaid sequential steps to produce sustained rotary motion.

9. The method of claim 8 including the step of selecting said second liquid to have a lower boiling point than said first named liquid; and said step of generating a shock wave further includes injecting said second liquid within the body of said first named liquid.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of directing the extruded liquid into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means includes directing a plurality of extruded liquid streams into driving impingement with a plurality of blades on a common impeller. 

1. A method of converting liquid shock waves into rotary motion, comprising; containing a body of liquid in communication with extrusion orifice means opening to a gaseous environment externally of the contained liquid; generating a shock wave within said liquid and expressing a stream consisting of said liquid and comprising a small fraction of said body of liquid through said orifice means into said gaseous environment and into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means; and repeating the aforesaid steps to produce sustained rotary motion.
 2. The method of claim 1 including the step of heating said liquid prior to the step of generating a shock wave.
 3. Apparatus for converting transitory liquid shock waves into continuous rotary motion, comprising; explosion chamber means; a body of liquid completely filling said chamber means and engaging a chamber wall having a plurality of extrusion orifice means communicating with a gaseous environment; the additive cross-sectional areas of said extrusion orifice means being small in comparison to the cross-sectional area of said chamber wall; first liquid reservoir means in communication with said chamber means for replenishing the same; rotary motion conversion means mounted adjacent said extrusion orifice means on a side thereof remote from said body of liquid for movement in said gaseous environment; and shock generating means for generating transitory shock waves within said liquid to express the same through said extrusion orifice means and into driving impingement with said rotary motion conversion means.
 4. Apparatus for converting transitory liquid shock waves into continuous rotary motion, comprising; explosion chamber means; a body of liquid completely filling said chamber means and engaging a chamber wall having a plurality of extrusion orifice means having additive cross-sectional areas small in comparison to the cross-sectional area of said chamber wall; first liquid reservoir means in communication with said chamber means for replenishing the same; rotary motion conversion means mounted adjacent said extrusion orifice means on a side thereof remote from said body of liquid; shock generating means for generating transitory shock waves within said liquid to express the same through said extrusion orifice means and into driving impingement with said rotary motion conversion means; and said shock generating means including a second liquid reservoir containing a second liquid communicating with said chamber and means for controlling the liquid input from said second reservoir to said chamber.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said body of liquid in said chamber and said reservoir of liquid in said first reservoir comprise a high boiling point liquid; said second liquid in said second liquid reservoir comprising a lower boiling point liquid; means for heating said high boiling point liquid to a temperature intermediate the boiling points of the higher and lower boiling point liquids; and said means for controlling liquid input from said second reservoir to said chamber including means for injecting the lower boiling point liquid within the body of said higher boiling point liquid.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said rotary motion conversion means comprises an impulse turbine having a plurality of blades; and said extrusion orifice means comprise an annular extrusion orifice array positioned to extrude said higher boiling point liquid into driving impingement with said turbine blades.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 including a plurality of explosion chambers and a like plurality of impulse turbines; and means operatively interconnecting said plurality of turbines to a common output shaft.
 8. A method of converting liquid shock waves into rotary motion, comprising the steps of containing a body of liquid in a chamber in open communication with extrusion orifice means; heating said body of liquid while maintaining the same in open communication with said extrusion orifice means; and further comprising the sequential steps of intermittently generating a shock wave within said liquid and expressing a small fraction of the same through said orifice means, the step of generating said shock wave including the intermittent addition of a second liquid to the first named liquid; intermittently directing the extruded liquid into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means; upon termination of said shock wave, intermittently refilling the chamber; and repeating the aforesaid sequential steps to produce sustained rotary motion.
 9. The method of claim 8 including the step of selecting said second liquid to have a lower boiling point than said first named liquid; and said step of generating a shock wave further includes injecting said second liquid within the body of said first named liquid.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of directing the extruded liquid into driving impingement with rotary motion conversion means includes directing a plurality of extruded liquid streams into driving impingement with a plurality of blades on a common impeller. 